Billy Joel

About 10 years ago, I spent a semester in Morocco. One of my closest friends from that semester did a really sweet thing for her boyfriend/love interest of the time.

She made him mix CD (do people even use CDs any more???) of songs, all with the theme of young love. When I state young love, I mean budding romance… songs like Groove Theory’s “Tell me if you Want Me to”

I thought it was the cutest idea and ever since had hoped that I would one day have a SO that would do the same for me (selfish I know!)…Songs are so awesome and poignant, even when they are simple and seem stupid. I think almost everyone can think of a song that pretty accurately and aptly encapsulated how they felt at a certain moment in time. I am that on steroids… It’s all about the words more so than the beat and such… and yet, It’s something that people tend to not notice about me.

So it’s no surprise that now that it’s ten years and counting and this old brown cow has crossed the 30 threshold,

9 Months? … Try 30 years!…. Some of us are the experience personified on earth!… ha ha

I am willing to give up on that dream (and I never expressed this wish to anyone, and somehow hoped that some guy would intuitively do this thing, so you get what you put out there).

But before I let my dream die, I decided to create the mixtape/playlist on my own.

Here are the tracks

12. Jon B- They Don’t know

Jon B paved the road for Justin Timberlake and all these blue-eyed soul artists that proliferate the market these days. Tu Amor is a fave of mine because of the mix of Spanish, but also because his vocals are on point. Some group did a cover of this song and their version just doesn’t cut it. There had to be some LaFace representation on this list… just had to be (I am child of the 90s, after all)

11. Michael Jackson- Remember the Time

This is my favorite MJ song (next to Stranger in Moscow) and I remember watching it when it premiered, I was all of 8 years old. But that video ya’ll, it was epic. I am a sucker for a song about old love that is still there after years have past.

10. Backstreet Boys- All I have to Give

This was the first Backstreet Boys song I ever heard and still love it to this day. The message is simple, it’s not about nice things, it’s about the sincerity that comes with truly loving someone.

9. Luis Fonsi – No Me Doy Por Vencido (I am not giving up)

The song is about not giving up on a relationship, that saving what they have is worthwhile. I listen to it when I need inspiration for other stuff too… go figure.

8. Jen Carlos Canela- Mi Corazon Insiste (My heart Insists)

Not only do I think Jen Carlos has the coolest name and is the quintessential example of the Hot Latino leading man, but I love this song (duh hence it’s on my playlist!… ha ha). It’s about loving someone despite yourself, trying to replace them with someone else, or to erase their memory, all to no avail. Some loves are like that, I think. Their’s something really passionate about that yet, calming because in the end, all roads lead back to that major love.

7. 98 Degrees and Stevie Wonder- True to Your Heart

Aside from being the song off the Mulan soundtrack, le message rings clear and is pretty self-explanatory. Plus, I loved the late 90s Boy bands, well just the three that make this list, and this is probably my favorite 98 Degrees song.

6. Sabr Alroba3i- Atahada al3alam (Usually translated as “I Defy the World” but I think that “I Declare to the World” makes more sense)

The song is awesome… and I love it because it’s one of those that I loved even before I actually understood what the words meant. Sabr alroba3i has an amazing voice and this song, this song… It was on my list as possible wedding song back in the day… ha ha…. my favorite line translates as something like (and You are my love, my heart and soul are with you, come close and let me live out my feelings of love…. hmmm this translation is weird… ha ha).

5. NSYNC- Something like You

It was really hard to pick just one NSYNC Song, there are too many that love, these guys were the bona fide soundtrack of my youth…le sigh. I actually wasn’t a great fan of “This I promise you” or “God Must have Spent”… mostly because they got so much play. I like this song because it’s about love in its early stages, but the singer can tell it’s something deeep… ha ha… yup in case you haven’t noticed I am soppy romantic at heart.

6. Billy Joel- The Longest Time

The message is pretty much the same as the NSYNC song, but it’s Billy Joel! Funnily enough, I love this song because Alvin and Chipmunks used to sing it a lot… ha ha…

5. India Arie- I see the God in You

This is one of those songs that were on constantly for me ten years ago. Aside from featuring Ms. Arie’s awesome voice, the message is yet again about young love, about feeling this intrinsic connection with someone else. I still remember walking down the streets of the old Medina in Rabat with this blasting in my ears…. FYI… I did not see God in any of the men that I past by daily… not in the way she is talking about anyway… ha ha…

4. Alanis Morissette- Head Over Feet

Probably my favorite song from Alanis, and the lyrics are simple, but awesome. I think the little things the guy does in the song, have always clicked with me like (yes!)… again going with the theme of it’s not about the materials crap, it’s about things like Asking me how my day was, just saying the right things at the right times… the kind of love that makes you love the person back for all that they are!

3. Rob Thomas- Lonely No More

Because I looooooved Matchbox Twenty and because this is the ultimate “Piss or get off the Pot” type songs… like, I don’t want any more BS so be sure this is what you want.

2. Banky W- Strong Ting

Practically an ancient Afro-pop song, but it’s still one of my faves. Just another song about young love, although this is probably more of the superficial sort… ha ha …

1. 112- Only You

One of 112’s best songs, back when Biggy was still alive and Bad Boy was in it’s heydey. Yet another where exactly do we stand?- type songs… but their vocals as ever are awesome. And this song also happens to be one the biggest ones out there back when I was in 8th grade.

Of course there are tons of songs left off here- Celine Dion could Easily be on this mixtape as could several others (Mariah, Whitney, some more representation from girl groups and a few other Arab artists… At least one Country song), but whatever. … no revenue will be made or collected from this post. So, I don’t think anyone cares…

And with that, the dream is put to rest. Moving on to other things.

Got the playlist. Now all I need is the date… Wait, I said, moving on to other things Gazelle!